End of Days
by Green Gallant
Summary: In an apocalyptic future an overlord known only as the Monarch rules the world with an iron fist. But his rule is not absolute so long as the Justice League and Young Justice survive. But how do you stop someone that can level cities in a flash? Find out.


_Author's Note: Well this is something I started a while back. Not too long ago. For a while now I've kind of wanted to do a future YJ fic. What I'm hoping is the first one on here. Anyway I just thought I'd get this out of the way and see if anyone likes it. Let me know what you think. _

**Young Justice: End of Days**

The Earth is under siege, in the dystopian future a dictator has overtaken the planet. Born out of disaster the dispotic Monarch has leveled numberous cities and taken countless lives with his radioactive powers. Even now in Metropolis the ruler of the world was locked in combat with the Man of Steel. The battle had been long and arduious evidenced by Superman's tattered cape and costume, while his opponet who was clad in blue and gray powered armor along with a helmet and stylized crown with a flat blue faceplate didnt have a scratch on him. The Monarch stood unaffected while the Man of Steel's breathing was haggard and obviously fatiqued.

"The battle is over Kal-El. I am the victor once again." said Monarch.

"I wont...let you take Metropolis." he told him out of breath, with an eye brused shut.

"You dont have any choice in the matter. I will conquer your city, just like I have all the others. As powerful as you once were, you are no match for me. I am the lord of this world." the Monarch replied.

"Your not the lord of me. No matter how many cities you destroyed, this world will never bow to you." Superman growled.

"Ignorant Kryptonian, you have no idea what I am capable of." the Monarch said.

"You see yourself as a god, but your nothing more than a schoolyard bully that lords his strength over others." he answered defiantly.

The Monarch narrowed his eyes behind his mask offended at this remark. Superman straightened his posture a bit though covered in scrapes and bruises, his sleeves sporting large rips across his shoulders and biceps. His tattered cape flapped over his left shoulder as he stood up to Monarch, with the 'S' Shield still gleaming. His face covered in scratches with his left eye sealed shut as he stood defiant against the despot.

"So be it." he muttered and started to power up. Superman's eye widened as a white flash of light enveloped the city of Metropolis.

An atomic explosion then sealed the fate of Metropolis and a mushroom cloud could be seen in the distance. On the Watchtower high above Earth; Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White look on in horror as their city was destroyed. Lois covered her mouth in shock as she and the remaining members of the League watched.

"My God..." Perry said.

"It's gone...it's really gone." Jimmy added.

Wonder Woman placed a compassionate hand on Lois' shoulder and the reporter asked the inevitable question.

"Is...is he okay?"

Diana looked back at her teammates who were unsure how to answer. A grim silence hung over them and started to turn away from her. Tears started forming in Lois' eyes as she looked at the monitor and collapsed to her knees. Perry turned away while Jimmy knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her as Lois buried her head in his chest.

From another window on the Watchtower Superboy looked on in horror as Metropolis and his mentor/father was destroyed. Enraged Conner slammed his fist against the reinforced glass fracturing it as Megan wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her head in his shoulder as he hung his head. Robin, Aqualad and the Flash looked away knowing the Monarch had won. Conner did his best to shield his emotions as he stood there heaving, while tears fell from Megan's own eyes and dampened his shirt. He clinched his eyes shut as a single tear started to form and pounded the glass once more.

"_Noooooooooo!" _Conner roared. Megan held him tighter as Black Canary and Wonder Woman softly approached him. The moment Canary's hand touched his shoulder he stiffened and took off in a rage.

"Where are you going?" Megan yelled.

Conner ran towards the exit while his teammates took off after him. Wally was the first to catch up and stop infront of him.

"Conner wait a minute!" he tried to reason.

"Out of the way!" he snarled shoving him to the side.

"Superboy!" Robin yelled and fired a grappeling line around his wrist.

The Boy of Steel immediatly broke the bind and raced towards the dock bay. Megan flew after him at top speed and caught up to him flying overhead.

"You cant go down there." she told him.

"I'm the only one that can stop him!" he yelled and flew through the bay entrance.

Outside the Watchtower Superboy started to make his way towards Earth before Megan caught up to him and stood before him with arms folded.

"Get out of the way!" he ordered.

"No I wont!" she yelled.

"I'm the only one that can!" he yelled back.

"No you cant! You think you can but you cant Conner!" she yelled suprising him.

Megan's fists trembled as she stood before him begging him not to.

"Your not s-Superman Conner...please. Dont do this. Your not...your not as strong as him. You wont survive an encounter with him." she said with tears in her eyes.

Conner stood there in the void of space stunned at Miss Martian's statement. Although he wanted to believe he was every bit as strong as his father...in the pit of his heart he knew it wasnt true. He sobered and looked away.

"I just want to make sure he's okay." he muttered.

"I know you do." she smiled touching his cheek. Her eyes stinging started to dry.

"And in case your forgetting Supey, we dont know how your body will handle the nuclear fallout." an 18 year old Robin said coming up to them in a space helmet and jetpack.

"Then what _can_ we do?" the Boy of Steel asked.

"How about wait till we actually formulate a plan?" he joked. Superboy smiled but remained on point.

"We have to get down there and check for survivors." he said.

"I dont think there are survivors Kon-El. You saw what happened." Robin told him.

"We dont know if Superman can survive a nuclear explosion either. We have to go down there and check, its the least we can do." he told him.

Robin sighed knowing it was a losing battle, facepalming into his helmet.

"Fine I guess we'll figure something out." he said.

Back on Earth, the Monarch stood over the decimated remains of the city after his nuclear assault. The only things left standing were mere skeletons of skyscrapers, all life within the blast radius had been extenguished. Even the Man of Steel was nowhere to be seen. The Lord of the Earth smirked beneath his helmet seemingly triumphant. An explosion of soil erupted before him as the enraged Man of Steel grabbed him by his throat, electricity sparked from his neck as Superman nailed him with a flying chokeslam. Superman rammed his fist into the Monarch's helmet collapsing the right side of it as a crater exploded beneath them. The Man of Steel continued his assault beating the Monarch mercilessly with catastrophic force, damaging his helmet more with each hit. The hero was now lost in his anger as he pummeled the murderer of his city. And locked his hands above his head bringing them down on the overlord's face, a large crack appeared down the center of his mask as he lay there helpless before him. Superman breathed heavily as he stood over the Monarch, the left side of his tunic sheered off. His body bleeding and covered in wounds. He grabbed Monarch by his shoulder and lifted the despot to his level.

"What are you going to do now Kryptonian?" the Monarch said very much alive. Even when faced with certain death, the Monarch remained defiant. The tables ironically turned from earlier.

The hero glared back at him with his one good eye, the Monarch started to laugh.

"It's amazing all your power and your still unable to do what is necessary. I have taken away your hometown, and yet you do not kill me. Why?" the villain taunted. Superman only glared.

"You have every right to kill me. To end my reign and free humanity from my grasp, and yet you wont do it. No matter how vile someone is, you wont end thier life. All because of some misplaced honor code, telling you that all life is precious no matter who's it is." he added.

"No. Becuase your a monster who must account for his crimes." he told him. Monarch laughed even more at this.

"You really think they'll do anything with me? I'm made of atomic energy, even so how would they ever enact capital punishment upon me?" he chided.

"No matter what happens Kal-El I will always win. You cant kill me without everyone else dying along the way. That's the way it is and will always be. Even now if you were to destroy my armor it would release even more radiation and render the rest this state unliveable. You may have won the battle Kal-El but you lost the war." he said as blue swirls radiated the Monarch's body and teleported out.

Superman remained where he was with a grim expression as he stood in the ruins of Metropolis. In a cafe not too far away from Metropolis patrons reacted in shock at the destruction of Metropolis, which by now was covered by all the other news networks. An older trucker looked up from his meal as a glob of food fell from his fork.

"Turn that up!" he yelled as a woman put the volume on max.

_"It seems as though the Monarch has leveled yet another city, this time the fabled hometown of the Man of Steel. Which just moments ago was razed by the Monarch's vast powers. The radiological fallout is immense. Unfortunantly one of our news crews was within the city covering the clash between Superman and the Monarch. Our hearts go out to the victums and thier families at this time. It is unknown if the Man of Steel has survived. We will keep you informed as this story develops."_ a British female journalist reported.

An older man stood up from his chair as he faced the TV seeing the large mushroom cloud appear over the city. A woman with brown hair covered her mouth in shock as the establishment fell silent. On the Watchtower the rest of the League watched the media waiting to see if Superman had survived the blast. At ground zero Superman punched the earth in frustration.

"Superman you out here?" a voice called out.

He looked up and saw Green Lantern John Stewart descend through the dust cloud in an energy bubble and remained a few feet above him.

"Glad to see your alive." he stated. The Kryptonian averted his gaze from John.

"I'm sorry for what happened. Clark we have to get back to the Watchtower." he told him.

At the Monarch's stronghold the overlord materialized within his domain and was attended to by his servants.

"Congradulations on another conquest my lord." one of his grunts told him.

"It would have served me better had it not been destroyed." the Monarch said as he took his throne. His servants worked to remove his damaged helmet.

"But you have shown the Man of Steel you are invincible." the being replied. Monarch cast a piercing stare on his grunt who trembled before him.

"If I was invincible would I look like this?" he asked, his helmet smashed beyond recognition.

"The Kryptonian has proven he's just as durable as I am. As long as he endures others will follow his example and attempt to overthrow me. Though I have conquored much of the world, they are still defiant. How many more cities must I destroy before they see that I am the supreme being?" he pondered as they took off his destroyed helmet. The man beneath the mask was revealed to have metallic gold skin with glowing red eyes, and what appeared to be a short metallic hairstyle.

His grunts discarded his helmet as the Monarch pondered his next move via a wall of holographic monitors. On the Watchtower high above th eEarth the League was ready to do the same.

_Author's Note: All right so what did you think of that? For the time being I plan to break away from my own tradition and not let time travel be part of the story like I have in other alternate future fics. It gets kind of redundant after a while. So this takes place about five years in the future as evidenced by Robin's age who I figure will be in his last year as the Boy Wonder but before he 'grows up'. I'm still trying to figure out some things so if you have any suggestions for this future I'd like to hear them. Let me know what you think. _

_Please review, _

_Green Gallant_


End file.
